Last week, I looked at Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66. That got me to thinking about Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. I suggested that Brasil ‘66 was not the height of authenticity, but they were an authentic as a caipirinha compared to TJB. In 1962, Alpert created the sound for the single “The Lonely Bull” in his home studio, based on Mexican mariachi bands. The rest of the musicians on the albums were session men. When there was a demand for live appearances, Alpert put a band together. In 1966, TJB had five of the Top 20 best-selling albums on Billboard’s charts.
The cover for the 1965 album Whipped Cream and Other Delights is one of the most famous in pop history.
But we’re not really here to salute TJB, much as they deserve it. Instead, I offer two songs that sample the TJB sound.
In 1994, The Evolution Control Committee took the vocals from Public Enemy’s “The Rhythm, The Rebel”, from the Prophets Of Rage EP, and laid it over “Bittersweet Samba” from Whipped Cream…
Two years later, Delinquent Habits took the TJB’s debut single “The Lonely Bull” as the hook for their debut single “Tres Deliquentes,” which was a huge hit.
“The Lonely Bull” was originally called “Twinkle Star” before Alpert gave it the mariachi treatment. It was written by Sol Lake, who also wrote “Bittersweet Samba” and contributed a number of songs to TJB albums. A native of Chicago, his birth name was Solomon Lachoff.
Read more about Alpert here.
The Evolution Control Committee – Rebel Without A Pause (Whipped Cream Mix)
Delinquent Habits – Tres Delinquentes — BUY
Tags: Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, The Evolution Control Committee, Delinquent Habits, MP3s